What is a health and safety policy?
A health and safety policy is a workplace policy that explains how a company identifies hazards, prevents accidents, and responds to emergencies, so employees know what's expected of them and what protection they can expect in return.
When should your company use one?
A health and safety policy is legally required in most jurisdictions as soon as a company has employees, and it becomes especially important in workplaces with physical hazards, equipment, or site visitors. Even in a low-risk office environment, it gives employees a clear process for reporting concerns and responding to emergencies.
Free health and safety policy template
Use the template below as your starting point. It covers hazard reporting, emergency procedures, and protective equipment, and it's ready to copy into your employee handbook.
Purpose
[Company Name] is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for every employee, contractor, and visitor. This policy explains how hazards are identified and controlled, what employees must do to keep themselves and their colleagues safe, and how to respond when something goes wrong.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors at any [Company Name] site, and to employees working from a home office or a client location on the company's behalf. Roles with additional site-specific or equipment-specific safety rules follow those requirements alongside this policy.
Policy elements
Workplace safety is a shared responsibility. [Company Name] provides a safe working environment, the right training, and the equipment needed to work safely. Employees are expected to follow safety procedures, use equipment as instructed, and speak up when something looks unsafe.
General safety responsibilities
Managers are responsible for making sure their teams understand and follow the safety procedures relevant to their role, and for correcting unsafe conditions or behavior as soon as they notice them. Employees are responsible for:
- Following safety instructions, signage, and equipment guidelines at all times
- Using any required personal protective equipment for their role
- Reporting unsafe conditions, near misses, and injuries as soon as possible
- Completing required safety training before starting a task that requires it
Hazard identification and reporting
Any employee who notices a hazard, from a loose cable to a malfunctioning piece of equipment, should report it to their manager or [Facilities/HR contact] right away, and flag it clearly to warn others in the meantime where possible. [Company Name] carries out regular workplace inspections to identify and correct hazards before they cause harm.
All work-related injuries and near misses, no matter how minor, must be reported to a manager and HR within [X] hours, using [the incident report form / the HR system]. This record helps [Company Name] spot patterns and prevent repeat incidents.
Emergency procedures
Every [Company Name] site has posted evacuation routes, assembly points, and emergency contact numbers. Employees should familiarize themselves with these on their first day, and take part in fire drills and other emergency exercises when scheduled.
- In a medical emergency, call [emergency number] first, then notify a manager or designated first aider
- In case of fire, follow the posted evacuation route and gather at the designated assembly point
- Do not re-enter the building until a manager or emergency responder confirms it's safe
Personal protective equipment
Roles that require personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses, gloves, or hearing protection, will have that equipment provided by [Company Name] at no cost to the employee. Employees must wear the required equipment correctly and report any damaged or missing equipment to their manager immediately.
Non-compliance
Ignoring safety procedures, disabling safety equipment, or repeatedly failing to report hazards puts other people at risk and is treated as a serious matter. Depending on the severity, violations of this policy can lead to disciplinary action up to termination, in line with [Company Name]'s progressive discipline policy.
How to customize the template
Add site-specific hazards, equipment, and emergency contacts relevant to your workplace. Occupational health and safety requirements vary by industry and location, so have this template reviewed by a qualified safety professional or employment lawyer before you publish it.
Legal and practical considerations
Occupational health and safety law varies significantly by industry and location, with specific requirements for hazard reporting timelines, protective equipment, and workplace inspections, so this template needs local legal or safety-professional review before publishing. Keep incident records for the period required by law in your jurisdiction, since they may be needed for a regulatory inspection or a workers' compensation claim.
Rollout checklist
Once the template is customized, a few practical steps make sure it's actually followed:
- Add site-specific hazards, equipment, and emergency contacts
- Have the policy reviewed by a qualified safety professional or employment lawyer
- Add it to your employee handbook and internal policy library
- Communicate it to all employees, contractors, and site visitors
- Run an emergency drill so employees know the evacuation route in practice
- Review it after any incident or when your work sites change
